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Man wins employment discrimination claim over electronic scanner

On behalf of Law Offices of Louis Spitters posted in Employment Disputes on Monday, August 31, 2015.

Technology can be a wonderful thing, and it continues to advance how things are done in the California workplace all the time. Sometimes innovation can also be offensive to people's religious beliefs. A former employee for Consol Energy Inc. in another state is accusing the company of employment discrimination because of his religious beliefs.

According to the complaint filed against by the company by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on his behalf, the plaintiff is an evangelical Christian. In 2012, Consol installed a hand scanner so that the workers could electronically log their hours. The plaintiff objected to using the scanner because of his religious beliefs, stating a specific passage in the Book of Revelation.

The plaintiff requested that he log his hours manually instead of using the electronic scanner. The man was apparently denied his request and forced to still use the scanner. He later retired from the company because he felt that his religious beliefs were violated.

The complaint was filed in a federal court in 2013, and the court decided in favor of the plaintiff. It was decided that Consol did violate the plaintiff's religious beliefs, and he was awarded $436,860.74 in front and back pay as well as $150,000 in monetary damages. A spokesperson for the defendants stated that the company will appeal the decision and that that plaintiff did not follow the proper protocol. Consol also stated that the plaintiff was offered a reasonable accommodation and that the company did not engage in employment discrimination. California employees who ask for reasonable accommodations that do not impose undue hardship on an employer and are denied may do their research into applicable laws.

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